


Sterek is Isaac's OTP

by inhystereks



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Derek, Alpha Derek Hale, And they're not together, Because Derek and Stiles are idiots, Because these idiots are in love goddamit, Derek and Stiles bicker like and old married couple, Derek likes it, Dorks in Love, Even though he pretends not to, Even though they're totally in love, Everyone is Alive and Nothing Hurts, Getting Together, Hale Pack, Isaac Ships It, Isaac Ships Sterek, Isaac is super frustrated, Isaac loses his shit, M/M, Matchmaker Isaac, Matchmaker Lydia, Mutually Unrequited, Oblivious Derek, Oblivious Stiles, Requited Love, Resolved Sexual Tension, Sassy Isaac, Sassy Isaac is the best Isaac, Since they take forever to get together, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Snark, Stiles is a cheeky little shit, Unrequited Love, Unresolved Sexual Tension, sterek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-19
Updated: 2017-06-19
Packaged: 2018-11-15 22:37:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11240712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inhystereks/pseuds/inhystereks
Summary: Isaac ships Sterek, okay? He ships itso hard





	Sterek is Isaac's OTP

Isaac was a fanboy.

He would probably only admit it under threat of death, but it was true. One random night deciding to stay up after his father had passed out from drinking too much, stumbling upon Inuyasha on Adult Swim, and an innocent internet search for more episodes online, had sucked him into the wonderful world of fanfiction. And unlike Alice, once he was in Wonderland, he never wanted to leave. It was fascinating to read about his favorite characters interacting in different scenarios, falling in love over and over again in hundreds of different ways. It didn’t matter that most of his ships weren’t canon. The only reason they weren’t was because the writers of most tv shows were idiots and clearly wouldn’t know how to use sexual tension that was practically exploding from two characters if their lives depended on it. 

But now he had his own real life OTP.

Stiles and Derek.

Sterek.

Good god, they were perfect for each other.

Stiles would bring energy and excitement into the brooding Alpha’s life. He wouldn’t let Derek’s reticence keep him from trying to learn more about the Alpha and what made him happy. He wouldn’t let Derek’s stoicism convince him that he didn’t need all the hugs and cuddles and nice things in the world. He talked enough for the both of them, so Derek would never have to verbally engage unless he was comfortable and it was his choice. Stiles would help Derek relax, let go, smile a bit, laugh a little. And in turn, Derek would provide Stiles with security and stability. The Alpha would draw Stiles away from his more impulsive plans, provide an outlet for his restless, endless energy. He would provide strength and protection, calm Stiles down when he was in the throes of a panic attack, soothe him when he woke from nightmares. Derek would make sure that Stiles didn’t kill himself trying to be and obtain everything the Pack needed, just like Stiles would make sure that Derek didn’t make himself a martyr in the face of some nameless enemy trying to keep the Pack safe. Stiles would kill for Derek, and Derek would put aside his anger at times for Stiles. They would be partners, equals, balance each other out. Sniping and snarking and bickering with each other. Protecting and saving and relying on each other. 

The fact that Derek was an older, Alpha werewolf with a tragic past and Stiles was the underaged, slightly magical son of the Sheriff of the town they both risked their lives on a regular basis to save from a barrage of evil homicidal creatures of the night only made the pairing that much more dramatic and so, so perfect. 

_But they didn’t even know._

At first, Isaac honestly couldn’t figure out whether they were purposely ignoring their feelings or they really were just that oblivious. But after observing carefully and seeing the way Derek’s eyes lingered on Stiles’ hands while he gesticulated, after seeing the way Stiles beamed with pride every time he managed to get even the tiniest smile from the Alpha, he reached a pretty definite conclusion.

Derek knew how he felt about Stiles, and Stiles knew how he felt about Derek, but the two of them were such huge idiots that neither of them could see the person they were pining away for felt the same way. So they were actually doing both: ignoring their feelings and being so oblivious it should have been a legal handicap. 

In the beginning, Isaac didn’t want to meddle. Derek was stubborn and Stiles was contrary and he didn’t have enough faith in his matchmaking abilities to believe that he wouldn’t somehow screw things up in a way that ended with them actually hating each other instead of occasionally pretending they did. But they just kept getting more and more ridiculous about how they were everything but an official couple. 

The snarking at each other was their usual way of trying to expel the sexual tension between them. It didn’t actually work (especially not when Derek would tell Stiles to shut up and Stiles would say make me and they would both stare at each other for several seconds trying not to drop their gazes to each others’ mouths) but it’s what they did. It was annoying, but it was mostly bearable. 

And then the constant touching started.

Isaac was pretty sure that it was Stiles that started it, because Derek was not at all one to initiate touch and Stiles was used to dealing with Scott, whom he’d been friends with for so long that most personal boundaries were nonexistent. Also, once he thought back, Isaac thought he remembered Stiles rambling about how he’d stumbled across an article that detailed how being tactile with their pack improved a wolf’s health a little before the touching started. 

 

(“So I read online that wolves need a lot of tactile contact to stay healthy. Is that true?” Stiles asked. 

“Don't believe everything you read online,” Derek grunted. 

“Hm, maybe you're right,” Stiles said, “Maybe I should ask for a second opinion from someone who has more information.”

Derek glared at him, and Stiles simply gave him an unimpressed look in return. 

“Wolves do require tactile contact. Werewolves appreciate it and are inclined to do so, but do not need it to survive. It does help to cement the pack bond though.”

“Huh,” Stiles said. Derek glanced at his expression and shifted away slightly. Stiles smirked but didn't make a comment.)

 

It seemed like nothing would come of it. Derek stopped carefully watching Stiles after a few days in which Stiles didn't try to attack him with hugs. But the moment Derek seemed to forget about the conversation, Stiles seemed to make it his mission to observe him. It wasn’t obvious. Even after weeks of surreptitiously watching Stiles carefully watch Derek, Isaac only realized what was happening when Stiles slumped on the couch next to Derek, touching from shoulder to knee, and Derek didn’t react besides to glance over at him and ask if he spilled something in chemistry class. Looking back, Isaac realized it had started casually; a clap on the shoulder, light smack to the bicep, friendly punch to the chest, elbow nudge to the side, a little touch to grab attention. Glares and low growls were ignored until not only was Derek used to the touches, he started to reciprocate them. Which sent Stiles into overdrive because he was tactile by nature; he only needed to know that you were okay with it and he would not hesitate to drape himself all over you. Isaac thought he was the only one who noticed because he was constantly looking for any sign that Sterek would come to fruition sooner rather than later. And maybe Lydia. Since she always happened to know everything.

So now, in addition to their constant bickering back and forth, Derek and Stiles were all over each other. If Derek was on the couch when Stiles walked into the loft, he would sprawl all over the wolf and verbally provoke him until Derek deigned to pay him attention. If Derek was in the kitchen, Stiles would walk up behind him and peer over his shoulder to see what he was doing. And Derek returned the favor, leaning over Stiles’ shoulder when he was researching something or putting his head in Stiles’ lap when they were on the couch at the Sheriff’s house.

Neither of them liked to be fussed over when they were injured. But when Derek got that bite in his side from one of those vicious pixies and it was taking longer to heal because their saliva was venomous, he let Stiles check it instead of just growling that he was fine like he did with everyone else. And when Stiles got his leg broken by some rogue hunters that had kidnapped “the weakest link,” he actually let Derek carry him around when he was tired of dealing with his crutches. They started to orbit around each other whenever they were in the same room, orienting themselves based on the other’s position. It was amusing, if infuriating, to watch. 

Isaac thought that might spark something. But, no. Instead, they started texting.

He wasn’t completely aware of the progression of that phenomenon. 

 

(It was because of a stakeout.

Stiles was bored because Scott was texting Allison and everyone else was sleeping or ignoring him. On a whim, Stiles decided to text Derek.

_I’m bored. Entertain me._

**Aren’t you and Scott supposed to be on a stakeout?**

_We are on a stakeout._

**Then pay attention, Stiles.**

_There’s nothing happening. Duh. That’s why I’m bored._

**If you don’t pay attention, you could miss something.**

_Psh. I’m less distracted by texting you than Scott is while he’s texting Allison._

**Do the two of you not know how stakeouts work? You’re supposed to pay attention and be on the lookout for anything suspicious.**

_I know how stakeouts work. I am paying attention. Even though I don’t think the witch is our problem._

**I know you don’t. And I trust your instincts, but we still have to make sure.**

_You trust my instincts?_

**You usually know when someone or something is dangerous and might hurt you. Though you also tend to run straight towards it like the idiot you are.**

_Too late. You already paid me a compliment. Now I know you actually take me seriously._

**I take you seriously when you’re being serious. I’m not going to listen to you when you make stupid jokes just because the opportunity is there.**

_I don’t like silence, Derek. People usually start talking again if I make a joke. Even if it’s just to say I’m annoying._

**There are other ways to start conversations that don’t involve provoking people until they react.**

_Yeah, but that’s the easiest._

**Sometimes the things you want take hard work.**

_Aw, Derek. I think having puppies is getting to you. You’re starting to sound like a dad._

**Okay. We can stop talking about it if you want. You should be paying attention anyway.**

_You have to talk to me about something else though._

**Stiles.**

_I’m mad I literally heard the tone of your voice in my head. That’s some ridiculous shit right there. And I’m serious. If I don’t have a conversation with someone, I’m going to fall asleep and let me tell you Scott’s half-assed uh-huhs while he pictures the glow of Allison’s skin in the moonlight are not gonna cut it._

**Fine. Tell me about the mating habits of jellyfish.**

_The fuck? Why would I know about the mating habits of jellyfish?_

**Are you telling me you don’t?**

_No, I do. I just don’t know why you would assume I do._

**Stiles.**

_Argh stop doing that! Hearing your voice in my head is so freaking weird._

_The males release a cloud of sperm and the females swim through it. Depending on the species, their eggs can get fertilized that way or they have to eat the sperm._

**That’s… pretty disgusting.**

_No, it’s not. It’s awesome. Let me explain._

After that, Stiles would text Derek random ‘Did you know’ facts and they would talk about the weirdness of the fact and why Stiles even knew something like that. Eventually they segued into just talking about their days and about themselves and about anything and everything.)

 

All Isaac knew was that suddenly you couldn’t be around one of them without that person constantly checking their phone for a text from the other.

Derek would smirk or smile slightly or roll his eyes or stare down at his phone in surprise or confusion at whatever Stiles said to him. Stiles would actually laugh out loud or make an exaggeratedly offended face or stare off into the distance looking oddly pensive. If someone asked what the conversation was about, rarely would they be actually told. It was usually ‘It would take too long to explain,’ ‘You wouldn’t get it out of context,’ ‘Just something that happened earlier,’ or most often, ‘Nothing important.’

They even started doing it on Pack Nights if they weren’t next to each other when everyone was eating or watching the movie or playing separate board games. If they were next to each other, they would just pass one of their phones back and forth using notepad until the battery got low and then they would just use a different phone while the first one charged, sharing smirks and small smiles and amused looks all the while.

It. Was. Maddening.

Isaac wished they would just have a conversation with each other without having to use their phones as a buffer. It was clear that whatever conversations they were having were making them closer. There was a certain intimacy whenever they touched that hadn’t always been there.

They’d always kind of shared those intense looks where they communicated everything they wanted to say without speaking a word, but they were more frequent now. Isaac thought that if they just spent more time with each other outside of Pack meetings instead of mostly communicating from afar, they would stop being so damn stubborn and make it official.

He was ecstatic when they did start spending more time with each other.

And supremely frustrated when they didn’t get together as a result.

He didn’t really know what happened besides that Derek had helped Stiles when his car broke down on a back road. He didn’t know why that was such a big deal, but right after, Stiles’ scent kept appearing in the loft more and more often. Not long after that, Isaac would come home to see Stiles sprawled on the couch or walking out of the kitchen with a snack.

 

(Stiles had had a terrible day.

One of those days that was just a compilation of stupid little things that weren’t a big deal individually, but altogether made you wish you’d never even gotten out of bed that morning. As he was leaving school, he thought that if one more bad thing happened he would scream or burst into tears or both.

And then his car broke down.

He couldn’t call anyone because his phone had died earlier in second period. He hadn’t even been able to text Derek for most of the day and now he couldn’t call for help. He’d taken the least used back roads so he could speed a little on his way home and now it was unlikely that anyone would drive by any time soon. Town was a pretty far walk, as was anywhere residential where he could ask to use a phone.

Stiles sat in the driver’s seat clutching the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white, breathing deeply and trying not to give into the urge to have a breakdown.

He didn’t hear the car until it was parking behind him.

Glancing in the rearview mirror, he saw the Camaro. The door swung open and Derek stepped out. Without thinking Stiles undid his seatbelt and opened his own door. He got out and walked to Derek.

“Stiles, are you…”

The teen flung his arms around the wolf and clung to him. Derek reacted automatically and hugged him back. His grip was loose, but when Stiles shuddered in his arms, Derek pulled him closer and held him tightly. They stood like that, Stiles leaning against Derek and Derek holding him together, for an indeterminable amount of time. Until Stiles shuddered again and Derek could tell that the worst of the negative scents clinging to him had dissipated.

Derek pulled away and cupped Stiles’ face in his hands. His fingers brushed against Stiles’ pulse points, smothering Stiles’ day in his own scent.

“Okay?” he asked.

Stiles closed his eyes for a moment, long lashes brushing against his cheeks. He looked up at Derek with honey eyes. “Better.”

Derek nodded, pulling Stiles closer for a moment to exhale over his temple. The boy relaxed a bit more.

“Do you want me to take a look at your car now or later after I take you home?”

Stiles smiled slightly, both at the assumption that he wouldn’t know how to fix what happened and at the assumption that Derek would take care of it for him.

“Now, please,” he said quietly.

Derek nodded again and gestured to the driver’s side so that Stiles could pop the hood. Stiles complied and grabbed the toolbox he had in the trunk before walking before walking over to Derek’s side. Derek muttered his thanks before grabbing a wrench and going to work. After a few moments of silence, he began to quietly tell Stiles about his day. The run he went on, the fox he saw in the forest that chased after him for a while, the old lady at the grocery store that pinched his butt and shamelessly admitted her guilt. He was on his way back to the apartment when he’d seen Stiles pulled over.

By that time, he was done tinkering with whatever he’d been tinkering with.

“Try it,” he told Stiles.

Stiles sighed in relief when it turned on without a problem.

“Let me make you dinner to say thank you,” Stiles said. Derek studied him for a moment before nodding. Stiles was surprised that he agreed so easily, but then thought maybe Derek knew that he just needed something to go his way.

He followed Derek back to the loft and helped carry the groceries up. He quietly did homework until about 5:30, when he got up and headed into the kitchen. 

“Do you need any help?” Derek asked from the desk he’d been working at for the past few hours.

Stiles hesitated. “Can you cut some vegetables for me?”

“Sure,” Derek replied.

He joined the younger man in the kitchen. As they worked, Stiles haltingly told Derek about his day. As he spoke, he felt stupid for getting so upset about stuff that didn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. But as he finished, Derek glanced over at him and said seriously, earnestly, “I’m sorry you had such a bad day.”

Stiles took a breath and steeled himself against the hot prickling in his eyes. “Thanks,” he whispered.

They finished the meal and ate in silence. It wasn’t awkward or tense. It was just quiet, the silence soft and sweet. They washed up together and Stiles went back to his homework while Derek returned to his own work. 

After another few hours, Stiles said he should probably start going home. Derek nodded and walked him to the door, making sure to scent him one more time. Stiles looked like he wanted to say something, but just nodded at Derek and left, glancing over his shoulder once as he walked down the hall.

The next day, Stiles showed up again. Derek heard the Jeep before it was even in the lot. He hoped Stiles hadn’t had another bad day and he got up to leave the door open a crack. Stiles walked in and looked over to where Derek was working at his desk.

“Hey,” Stiles said hesitantly, “Is it cool if I hang out and do homework?”

Derek blinked, surprised. When Stiles tensed, the scent of anxiety becoming sharp in Derek’s nose, he hurriedly said, “Yeah.”

“Yeah?” Stiles asked quietly, nervously.

“Yes,” Derek said firmly. “Come on in.”)

 

And then Derek started disappearing over to Stiles’ place pretty often too. Isaac was positive it started happening right after that rogue hunter/rogue Alpha debacle. Why the Alpha had thought it would be the best idea to run into already claimed territory and why the hunters thought it would be the best idea to try to get rid of the Hale Pack and the rogue Alpha altogether and why Derek thought it would be the best idea to try and fight them both at the same time instead of listening to Stiles’ advice to let the Alpha and the hunters fight it out and then go up against whoever was left, Isaac would never know. The gods in charge of their lives liked to laugh at them probably. All he knew was that Derek needed a little longer to recover from the double whammy of wolfsbane and Alpha claws, and he’d spent that recovery time at Stiles’ place.

 

(We don’t… have to go… to your place… Just take me… to the loft,” Derek said.

“Yeah, no,” Stiles replied easily. “You can’t even finish a sentence without panting. The loft is 20 minutes further away than my house and if I leave you alone, you’ll try to do things on your own instead of resting like you’re supposed to. So. We’re going to my house, and I’m going to nurse the hell out of you, and you’re going to deal with it ungraciously like the shitty patient you are.”

“Stiles,” Derek groaned.

“Think of it as repayment for how often you let me hang out and annoy you at your place,” Stiles said softly. 

For a moment, the rumble of the engine and Derek’s labored breathing were the only sounds audible in the car.

“You don’t annoy me,” Derek said, managing to get it out without pause.

Stiles scoffed. “Yeah. Okay,” he said sarcastically.

“You don’t annoy me… when you’re not purposely… trying to be… annoying,” Derek amended.

Stiles didn’t respond to that, but the Alpha could see the slight curve of his mouth.

By the time they pulled up to the Stilinski household, Derek could almost breathe properly. Stiles jumped out and ran around the front of the car to help Derek out. The teen supported the wolf all the way up the walkway to the living room. He helped Derek stretch out and said, “I’m going to go make you something to eat. Stay where you are. If you need something, call me.”

“I’m not an invalid, Stiles,” Derek scowled. “I’m almost completely healed.”

“You’re starting to bleed through your gauze, so no the fuck you’re not. Lay your ass down and let me make you food that will help you heal way faster than your wishful-to-the-point-of-delusional thinking.”

He turned and strode determinedly into the kitchen. Derek shook his head because Stiles was only graceful when he was fighting, angry, or wasted.

Derek blinked open his eyes and Stiles was standing in front of him with a plate of food.

“Did you warm that in the microwave?” he asked.

Stiles gave him a pointed look. “No. You fell asleep. Because you need rest. Because you’re injured.”

Derek conceded that maybe he needed to take it easy for a bit. But only to himself. Stiles would never let him live it down. Stiles could read him by now, though, and as soon as Derek relaxed, so did he.

“Where’s your food?” Derek asked.

Stiles blinked before huffing a laugh and returning to the kitchen. He came out with a plate of food and settled into the armchair. They ate in companionable silence. When they finished, Stiles stood to grab Derek’s plate. He paused in front of him.

“Um. I know I spend a lot of time at your place, but… but you’re welcome here too. Not just when you’re injured,” he said quietly. He practically ran to the kitchen after that.

Derek hid his smile even though there was no one there to see it.)

 

And he was definitely still clueless about how the fuck that segued into them making dinner for each other all the time.

 

(Stiles threw open his front door. He stared at the person standing there. He turned to look over his shoulder at the stairs that led up to the second floor where his room was. He turned back to look at the man standing on his front porch.

“You knocked on the door,” he said, sounding exactly as he felt: confused as all hell.

Derek raised an eyebrow. “Yes, Stiles. I do know what a front door is and how to use it.”

“I didn’t think you didn’t. I just never thought you’d actually use _mine_ ,” Stiles said, still in a state of incredulous disbelief.

Eye rolling had to be one of the werewolf superpowers. Obviously, their healing took care of any eye strain. “Are you going to let me in, Stiles?” Derek asked. He gestured, and Stiles looked down at his feet.

“You knocked on the front door _and_ you brought me groceries?” he asked, even more shocked and confused than before.

Derek didn’t say anything and Stiles looked up to see the wolf doing that thing with his eyebrows that meant he was embarrassed and trying not to show it. 

“You’ve made me dinner twice,” he said. “I thought I’d return the favor.”

“Oh my god, get in here,” Stiles demanded.)

 

Isaac had opened the fridge one day and there were Tupperware containers of food. He stared at them, wondering where the hell they came from because he and Derek never had leftovers when Derek cooked and takeout generally stayed in the containers they came in.

“Derek, where did these leftovers come from?” he asked.

“Stiles,” Derek replied from the living room. Isaac turned to the connecting doorway.

“You stole Stiles’ leftovers?” He knew the pair had a complicated relationship, but wasn’t that a bit weird?

“I didn’t steal them, Isaac,” Derek said, faintly exasperated.

Isaac crossed his arms and leaned against the counter. He was not letting this go, and it would be easier to keep asking questions if he couldn’t see Derek’s ‘Leave it alone’ stare. 

“Then how did you get them?” he asked.

“Stiles gave them to me,” Derek responded.

“Stiles just randomly gave you leftovers for absolutely no reason?”

There was a pause. Derek exhaled slowly. Isaac perked up, because he’d learned that meant the Alpha was going to give something away.

“They’re from when he made me dinner.”

 _What?_ Holy shit, did they have a date?!

‘ _Calm down,_ ' Isaac told himself. ' _Relax. They’re dumb. Don’t get your hopes up_.’  


“Why did Stiles make you dinner?” the Beta asked slowly.

“He was returning the favor,” Derek said reluctantly.

“Returning the favor?” Isaac wondered aloud, “What favor?”

“When I made him dinner.”

“Why did you make Stiles dinner?”

“Because he made me dinner.”

‘ _Wait, what?_ ’

“Stiles made you dinner because you made him dinner because he made you dinner?” Isaac asked.

“Yes.”

Isaac stared up at the ceiling and shook his head. He could keep asking questions, but Derek was determined to give him the runaround at this point, and eventually he would actually get irritated.

“Can I eat them?” he asked.

“Sure,” Derek said, seeming relieved that Isaac was done asking questions.

Isaac tried to bring it up with Stiles, but he just started rambling about the origin of meatloaf and then the next thing Isaac knew they were discussing astral projection. It wasn’t until Stiles clapped him on the shoulder and said, “Nice talk, Isaac,” that he realized what had happened. If nothing else, he knew for sure that at least some of the time, Stiles used his rambling to deflect from conversations he didn’t want to have.

So Derek and Stiles were making each other dinner now. In addition to hanging out and touching all the time and texting nonstop whenever they were apart. Isaac really hoped that this would be the point where they got their heads out of their asses and made it official. 

And then they started dating other people.

Which.

Just.

Why?

 ** _WHY?!?!?!?!_**  


What the fucking fuck was wrong with these idiots? How was it physically possible to be so oblivious and so deep in denial at the same goddamn time? He’d gotten his shit together with Scott and Allison way more quickly and there were three of them. How did negotiations for a polyamorous relationship go more smoothly than Derek and Stiles admitting they were into each other? _How?_

For the next month and a half, Isaac had to watch Stiles and Derek be passive-aggressively jealous, aggressively overprotective, and passively hurt that the one they loved was dating someone else. It was frustrating and upsetting because it wasn’t getting better, it was getting worse. They weren’t resigning themselves to being with other people. They were just getting more and more upset that they couldn’t be with each other. And it was pissing Isaac off because in between when they weren’t being upset at each other, they were being their normal lovey-dovey selves, and it was all so _unnecessary_.

It was another awkward moment when Derek invited Stiles somewhere and Stiles said he couldn’t go because he was already going with his boyfriend when a divine being intervened.

“If Derek wants to see it too, you guys should just go on a double date,” Lydia said. 

Isaac stared at her with wide eyes, because Stiles was right. She really was a genius strawberry blond goddess. 

After a moment of surprise, and another moment where Stiles and Derek looked at each other uncertainly, they pulled out their phones. Within half an hour, the plan was set. Stiles and Derek were going on a double date.

 

(“So, fair warning,” Stiles said, “Derek is kind of... not a people person. He doesn’t really get pop culture references and it’s a little hard to tell when he’s joking, so he’s kind of quiet around new people. And he might seem a little mean and closed off at first, but he’s really not. Promise.”

“Stiles,” Greg said, shaking his head, “Why are you so nervous about this?”

Stiles sighed. “Derek’s a really big part of my life, and I have a lot of close friends, but he’s arguably one of the closest. I just really want him to like you.” There was an underlying current to what he was saying that Greg wasn’t sure about.

“And if he doesn’t?” he asked.

“What?” Stiles responded.

“If he doesn’t like me?” Greg clarified.

Something flashed over Stiles’ expression, but he shook his head. “I’m not going to stop dating you if Derek doesn’t like you.” He paused. “But I would still prefer it if he did.”

Greg relaxed a little at hearing that this guy wouldn’t make or break their relationship, but it was obvious that his approval was very important to Stiles. “Well, we’ll just have to make sure that he likes me then.”

Stiles blinked and then smiled at happily at him. “Thanks,” he said. Then his smile widened into a grin. It wasn’t an expression Greg had seen on his face before. It wasn’t just happiness, it was joy. Greg wished he knew what he’d done to warrant that expression so he could do it all the time. 

Then he realized that Stiles was looking over his shoulder, not at him.

He turned to see quite possibly the most attractive man he’d ever laid eyes on walking towards them with a girl at his side.

He was staring at Stiles with a small smile on his face, eyes warm, pace picking up slightly as he walked toward them. 

“Derek,” Stiles said excitedly. He threw himself at the man, who caught him easily and pulled him close, smile widening slightly. 

Greg tried to keep his eyes from popping out of his head. This was Derek? This was the man who Stiles was extremely close to, whose approval Stiles wanted? A glance at the girl standing by Derek’s side told him that she probably had similar feelings. 

And Charlie did have similar feelings. Derek had told her only minutes earlier that Stiles was a bit younger than them, but still a close friend, and warned her that he was a lot to handle. He’d seemed tense, so she’d asked if he was nervous and he did that thing where his face went really blank while he wondered how much to tell her. She didn’t doubt that he always told her the truth, because a lot of his answers were vague and only made sense after she’d thought about them at length, but it was obvious that he wasn’t comfortable just saying what was on his mind. She’d had to hound him relentlessly to get him to even agree on a date, and she had to watch extremely carefully to gauge whether his responses to her were positive or negative. It was frustrating because she was sure under his guarded exterior he was a great guy, but that was just it: he was guarded. Except apparently from Stiles. Stiles who was hella attractive with his bright amber eyes, upturned nose, and full mouth. Stiles who could make Derek smile at just the sight of him, when Charlie had had to work for a simple smirk for weeks. 

She looked at Stiles’ date, who was staring at Derek with pure apprehension. Their eyes met and they realized that neither of them had expected, or knew how to deal with, the level of closeness between Stiles and Derek. It was only for a moment as the two pulled away from each other. 

“So, you gonna introduce me, big guy?” Stiles asked, clapping a hand on Derek’s shoulder.

Derek rolled his eyes, but turned to Charlie nevertheless. She couldn’t help but notice how his expression immediately closed off a lot once he didn’t have his entire focus on Stiles. 

“Stiles, this is Charlie. Charlie, this is Stiles,” Derek said evenly.

“Way to go, Der,” Stiles said rolling his eyes and moving him out of the way slightly by casually hip-checking him. Charlie was getting more and more uneasy by the second. She’d shortened Derek’s name once and he’d told her he didn’t really like nicknames. Of course they’d kissed and made out, but he usually shied away from casual touches. Apparently, he only minded when it wasn’t Stiles.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Stiles smiled. And he was too slim and boyish to be her type, but she noticed again how cute he was. He shook her hand. “I’d tell you Derek’s said a lot about you, but I’m sure you know all about his allergy to actual coherent, informative sentences.”

“Stiles,” Derek said. The boy simply gave him a cheeky smile, before turning and pulling Derek slightly closer by the jacket, so he could introduce his own date. 

“Derek, this lovely person right here is Greg. Greg, this gold medal winner of the Scowl Olympics is Derek,” Stiles said, that cheeky grin still in place. Derek scowled at him, which simply reinforced Stiles’ earlier comment. 

The man turned his attention to Greg, his expression snapping shut completely. Greg didn’t know if he should automatically assume that he was disliked, whether or not Stiles had told him that Derek wasn’t a people person and might seem a little closed off. 

“Nice to meet you,” Derek said in a flat voice. He reached out to shake Greg’s hand, but Stiles’ arm snapped out and he wrapped his long fingers around Derek’s wrist. Both men turned to him, but Stiles was focused on Derek, giving him a very pointed Look. With a capital L. A look which Greg didn’t understand, but which very clearly meant to Derek, ‘ _Do not use your werewolf strength to crush the hell out of his hand._ ’ The corners of the Alpha’s mouth quirked the tiniest amount and he inclined his head just slightly. Stiles understood easily, well-versed in Derek’s nonverbal communication, but the others didn’t realize Derek had responded in any way until Stiles let go of him. 

Greg shot Stiles a confused look, who simply shrugged somewhat sheepishly, and shook Derek’s hand. “Nice to meet you, too. Stiles doesn’t talk about you as much as he talks about Scott, but it’s pretty close.” 

Derek turned to look at Stiles. The boy just made a face at him, and the others completely missed the subtle twitch of Derek’s mouth that meant he was amused. 

Stiles stepped back slightly and turned to Charlie, gesturing her forward. “Charlie this is Greg, Greg this is Charlie. Sorry I don’t know enough about you to really give a thorough introduction.” The last was directed toward Charlie.

“It’s fine,” she said smiling. 

“I’m assuming Derek already printed your tickets?” Stiles asked, “I know he hates standing in line.” He tilted his head and gave the man an amused look out of the corner of his eye. 

“Sometimes the line is really long,” Derek said, his brow furrowing. Greg thought his tone might be defensive, but it was still incredibly flat so it was a bit hard to tell.

He turned his attention to Stiles when his boyfriend spoke to him. “Derek is mildly allergic to people,” he said solemnly, “Large groups make him break out in hives.”

Derek turned to Charlie. “Stiles likes to exaggerate,” he said, “And when he’s not exaggerating, he’s just making shit up. I don’t like long lines because I don’t like missing the previews.”

“And everyone knows that the previews are the most important part,” Stiles said, slinging his arm around Derek’s shoulders and leaning in as he gave him that cheeky grin again.

“As if you would know,” Derek snorted, “You’re always too busy stuffing your face with popcorn and snacks before the movie even starts.”

“Eating popcorn and snacks is part of the movie going experience, _Derek_ ,” Stiles said, “How many times have I explained this to you? Your brain needs sustenance to properly process the fantasticness or terribleness of whatever you’re watching.”

“That only makes sense if you start eating when the movie is actually playing, _Stiles_ ,” Derek shot back, “You’re always halfway through everything before the movie even starts and then when you run out you want to steal mine instead of getting up and missing parts to go get more of your own.”

“Well, you need to learn to share, Sourwolf,” Stiles said easily, “You can’t just hog all of those yummy snacks to yourself.”

“Oh, you mean like you do? The one time I tried to take some of your popcorn you smacked my hand and hissed like a pissed off cat,” Derek said.

Stiles rolled his eyes. “As if you would know what a pissed off cat sounds like. Cat love to rub themselves all over you like you’ve got catnip in your pockets.”

Derek scowled. “Cats do not love me that much. And a pissed off cat sounds like you when you’re protecting your food.”

“AHA!” Stiles exclaimed, pointing a finger in Derek’s face, “So you admit that it’s perfectly natural for me to want to protect my food from predators. I always knew you knew you were in the wrong for that one time you almost stole my popcorn.”

“Get your finger out of my face before I rip it off your hand. Popcorn isn’t worth protecting, especially since I only wanted a handful. And honestly I could never be in the wrong for taking food from you considering how often I feed you. I don’t even understand where it all goes. We should be rolling you places by now,” Derek snarked back.

“Come up with more original threats and maybe I’d actually do what you tell me to once in a while,” Stiles said, poking Derek in the cheek with the threatened finger, “And you have huge hands. Taking a handful might as well have been taking the whole bucket. Besides, I feed you just as often as you feed me, unless you’re forgetting all the times I’ve cooked for you. You shouldn’t be irritated by my naturally fast metabolism. You’d get tired of rolling me places pretty quickly.”

Derek muttered something that sounded like “roll your stupid self down a hill” and Stiles squawked in indignation.

“Derek Hale! Did you just threaten to roll me down a hill if I was fat?”

The man raised an eyebrow. “It’s not like you wouldn’t have extra padding to cushion your fall.” Stiles made an inhuman noise that actually made Derek smirk triumphantly.

The younger man narrowed his eyes. “Oh, I see,” he said, “You only appreciate me for my slim figure. I’ll have you know…”

Charlie and Greg were distracted by a low voice behind them. “They’re not going to stop unless you interrupt them.”

They turned to see a young guy in a theater uniform. He was holding a broom and dustpan and had clearly been cleaning up the sitting area behind them. His name tag read ‘Alex’. 

“Seriously,” he said, “They’ve literally stood in the lobby and bickered for over an hour before realizing that they missed the start time of the movie they wanted to see. And then they bickered for another hour about whose fault it was.”

Greg and Charlie shared a look.

“They come here together? Often?” Charlie asked.

The boy shrugged. “Often enough, I guess. Sometimes just them, sometimes with others. Are you guys another one of their couple friends?”

The two shared another look. “We’re their dates actually,” Greg said. “I’m here with Stiles.”

“I’m here with Derek,” Charlie said, almost unnecessarily.

Alex raised his eyebrows. He looked from the still bickering Derek and Stiles back to them. He huffed a laugh and shook his head. “Yeah, let me know how that works out for you.”

Charlie and Greg turned back to their boyfriends once the kid went back to cleaning and couldn’t help but see what he meant. Derek and Stiles were facing each other, leaning into each other’s space as they argued. Occasionally, Stiles would flail or poke Derek. Derek would catch his hands and put them back by his sides. Stiles was smiling. Derek was smirking. Their eyes were lit up with challenge and amusement. 

“Hey, guys, isn’t the movie supposed to start soon?” Greg asked.

“Yeah, we should probably head in,” Charlie added.

The pair turned to blink at them with blank expressions as if they’d completely forgotten where they were and who they were with.

Stiles recovered first, moving over to Greg with a sheepish expression. “Sorry, didn’t mean to get carried away. Derek just contradicts me all the time like I’m not always right and it drives me crazy,” he said, resting his head on Greg’s shoulder and looking up at him in a way he knew Greg thought was cute.

“Stiles lets his imagination run away from him and I feel the need to bring him back to reality,” Derek said to Charlie, tucking her into his side in a way he knew she really liked. His tone was faintly apologetic, which, coming from Derek, was as good as actually saying he was sorry.

“Excuse you,” Stiles said, “I’m always grounded in reality.”

“You’re not even grounded in reality most of the time, let alone always,” Derek said rolling his eyes. “Sweeping generalizations are never true, especially when you make them.”

“And yet you just made one,” Stiles smirked, “And I can think of a few generalizations that are totally accurate.”

“Of course you can,” Derek huffed sarcastically, “It wouldn’t be a normal day if you didn’t have to prove you were right somehow.”

“I don’t always have to prove that I’m right. Sometimes the proof just falls out of the sky and I get to look around smugly while everyone is in awe of my almost prophetic powers of observation and deduction.”

“And you’re so modest too, O Prophetic One. How do you manage to be so awe-inspiring and so humble at the same time?” Derek rolled his eyes.

“You know if you keep rolling your eyes like that, they might get stuck that way,” Stiles said condescendingly.

“Hasn’t happened yet,” Derek shot back, “And even if it did, I would blame you for being so ridiculous that it’s basically a reflex reaction to whatever comes out of your mouth.”

“Honestly, Derek, that’s more on you than me. You should really learn to control yourself,” Stiles smirked. Derek’s eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to retort when Charlie tugged on the front of his shirt a bit.

“The movie?” she reminded when he looked down at her. 

Now that he wasn’t quite so focused on Stiles (he was always at least a little focused on Stiles) he could tell that she was distressed and trying to hide it. He could scent jealousy, confusion, a bit of irritation, and the tiniest, faintest hint of what he thought might be resignation. Greg smelled much the same, minus the resignation. Derek always forgot how little normal humans understood the intimacy between Packmates. (Except for Stiles. Stiles had understood way back in the beginning, even before he was Pack. Then again, Stiles was pretty special.) It could definitely be construed the wrong way if there was no actual blood relation between the Packmates. And even if they weren’t Packmates, he and Stiles were being a bit rude, excluding their dates from the conversation like they had been. It was just so easy to fall into the same pattern with Stiles. The younger man would say something ridiculous that Derek had to correct and then it would end up in an argument about who was right and who was wrong until Stiles pulled something out of the air and Derek had to correct him and then they’d start arguing again. It was a cycle. It was how they communicated. It was how they’d learned about each other. It was as natural as breathing at this point. And Stiles was always so intriguing when he was making a point; Derek couldn’t help the way all his senses focused in on the flushed cheeks, flailing gestures, and strident voice of the younger man. It was captivating. Even when Stiles was pissing Derek off beyond belief, it was captivating.

However, Charlie didn’t deserve to feel like Stiles was taking up all of Derek’s attention. And Greg didn’t deserve to feel like Derek was taking up all of Stiles’ attention. Especially since Derek knew that he and Stiles would never have anything but a platonic relationship. It was one of the reasons he had been reluctant to start dating Charlie in the first place. Or anyone, really. He didn’t think he would ever be able to feel for someone else what he felt for Stiles. And starting a relationship when he was in love with someone else wasn’t really fair to the person he was dating or himself. Charlie had just been so persistent. And she seemed like a genuinely nice person. Derek didn’t trust easily and he knew that he still didn’t trust her even a fraction of how much he trusted his Pack, but he thought he eventually could. Though he didn’t know for sure whether she would stick around that long. He could smell her frustration when he gave her vague answers. Then again, she was very persistent and her curiosity was endless. Kind of reminded him of someone.

“Yeah, let’s head in,” Derek said.

Greg and Charlie were paying attention now. They noted how Derek and Stiles maneuvered themselves so they could sit next to each other in the middle. They noted how twenty minutes into the movie, Derek took Stiles’ drink away from him. They noted how when Derek finished his popcorn, Stiles handed over napkins and what seemed to be unscented hand sanitizer. They noted how when Stiles’ leg started jiggling, Derek placed a hand on his knee and he went still. They noted how Stiles kept leaning in to whisper comments to Derek and the one time Derek whispered back, Stiles had to use both his hands to cover his laughter. The movie ended with Charlie and Greg hardly having a clue what the hell it was about. 

“Diner?” Stiles asked, stretching.

“Sure,” Derek said, eyes on the strip of skin between Stiles’ raised shirt and his jeans.

“Diner?” Greg and Charlie asked.

“Oh,” Derek and Stiles said, looking at them.

“We usually go to the diner after a movie for fries and milkshakes,” Stiles said. “We don’t have to go if you guys don’t want to.”

“I’m down,” Charlie said. She already had her suspicions, but she wanted more evidence.

“Why break tradition?” Greg asked. He would rather bury his head in the sand, but he didn’t want to be the only naysayer.

At the diner, Stiles and Derek both let their dates slide in first. The waitress came over with a bright grin.

“Hello, boys. Just come from a movie?”

“Yep,” Stiles grinned, “So…”

“So, the after-movie fries and shakes,” the waitress said, already writing the order down.

“You’re an angel, Suzy,” Stiles said. “Can I ask…”

“No, Stiles,” Suzy said with a fond smile. “Your dad hasn’t been around here ordering contraband.”

Stiles glanced at Derek and seemed happy when he nodded slightly.

“And what about you two?” Suzy asked. Her smile was more polite than genuine when she addressed them.

“What would you recommend?” Greg asked, turning to Stiles.

“Curly fries,” Stiles and Derek said at the same time.

“Aw, you know me so well, Der-bear,” Stiles cooed. He grinned when Derek scowled at the nickname.

‘ _Der-bear_ ,’ Charlie mouthed at Greg. The man pursed his lips.

“Curly fries, then,” Greg said, “And can I get a Coke too?”

Derek raised an eyebrow at Stiles, who shook his head.

“What?” Greg asked.

“Nothing,” they said.

“Well, that clearly means it’s something,” Charlie teased, having decided to go with the flow at this point.

“Seriously, it’s not a big deal,” Stiles said.

“These two have had the Coke vs. Pepsi argument more times than I can count,” Suzy intervened, “Stiles prefers Pepsi. And what would you like, honey?”

“Can I have regular fries and a chocolate shake, please?” Charlie asked.

“Sure thing,” Suzy said. “That’ll be right out for you all.” She tucked her pencil behind her ear and walked over to the counter.

The group chatted about the movie until their food came. The conversation was dominated by Stiles because Charlie and Greg hadn’t been paying attention and Derek didn’t really have much to say. Greg had never heard Stiles talk so much before. He couldn’t tell if it was because Stiles was used to compensating for Derek not talking much, or if Stiles was usually this talkative and he kept a lid on it when he was with Greg. 

Their food came and Suzy handed Greg and Charlie their orders. She placed two baskets in front of Stiles and two in front of Derek, then put their shakes down along with a spoon.

“Enjoy!” she said.

Derek pushed his baskets toward Stiles at the same time Stiles pushed his shake towards Derek. Stiles lifted his basket of curly fries and Derek’s basket of curly fries and set them to the side. He poured ketchup on his basket of regular fries and sprinkled extra salt on Derek’s basket of regular fries. While he was doing that, Derek plucked the cherries from their milkshakes and ate them. He picked up the spoon and started transferring all the whip cream from his shake onto Stiles’. Stiles pushed both baskets of regular fries over to Derek’s side of the table. Derek pushed Stiles’ milkshake back toward him and handed him the spoon. Stiles licked the whip cream off lasciviously while waggling his eyebrows in an especially ridiculous manner. Derek rolled his eyes and ignored him, dipping a salted fry into his shake.

Charlie gave Greg another pointed look and he sighed. Because, yeah. That was kind of hard to dismiss.)

 

Two days after the double date, Isaac asked Derek, “Don’t you and Charlie usually get lunch today?”

“Charlie and I aren’t together anymore,” Derek said, not looking up from his work. 

Isaac bit his lip. There were too many conflicting feelings. Of course he was ecstatic that Derek was available again. And he was grateful Charlie had enough sense to walk away without a fight. But he also felt bad that Derek had gotten dumped by the first really nice girl he’d ever dated.

“Are you okay?” he finally asked.

Derek looked at him for a moment. “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah. I shouldn’t have started dating her in the first place. She was more understanding than most people would have been.”

He didn’t specify what she was so understanding about, but Isaac didn’t need him to.

 

(“So, I get it now,” Charlie said, as they stood on her porch. “Why you were so reluctant to go out with me. I thought it was just because you have trust issues.”

Derek was silent for a bit. “I do have trust issues,” he said quietly.

“Yes,” Charlie agreed, “But you’re also in love with Stiles. Which is way more of a problem than the trust issues.”

“Charlie,” Derek started.

She held up a hand. “No, Derek, it’s okay. I didn’t force you, but I did push even though I could tell you weren’t really certain about it. I’m not upset. But I do think we should stop this while I’m clear headed enough to realize I shouldn’t expect anything.”

Again, Derek was silent. After a while, he turned to her, looking in her direction but not at her. “When I was 15, I met a woman,” he said.

“Oh my god, no,” Charlie said, alarmed. “You don’t have to explain. Seriously, Derek, you don’t have to.”

“No, I… You’re a good person. I know you are, otherwise I never would have agreed…” He shook his head. “It’s not because I feel obligated. I just want you to understand why … Why Stiles.”

Charlie bit her lip and nodded slowly. Derek took a deep breath.

“When I was 15, I met a woman. She was 23.” He ignored the way Charlie’s eyes widened, her quiet gasp. He steeled himself. It was still difficult to admit what Kate had done to him and that it wasn’t his fault. “She seduced me and I trusted her with a lot of things. She used that trust against me and it ended with…” He breathed deeply, trying to keep calm. “It ended with the death of my family.” Charlie’s hands were covering her mouth, clearly trying to keep herself from saying anything. “It was really difficult for me to trust anyone for a long time after that. Stiles… Stiles has saved my life. More than once. He’s the first person I was able to truly trust, without doubt, after … And that’s why. That’s why he’s the one I …”

It was quiet for a moment, and then Charlie reached out to him. It took everything in him not to flinch away. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, pulling him into a hug. “I’m so sorry that happened to you. And I’m glad that you have Stiles, okay. I’m glad that you found someone to believe in.”

Derek sighed and hugged her back. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to lead you on. I thought maybe…”

Charlie pulled away, shaking her head. She cupped his face in her hands and stood on her tiptoes to give him a kiss. It was a sweet, chaste press of lips. She moved back and looked him in the eyes. “Be happy, Derek,” she whispered. She slipped into her house and the door shut quietly behind her.)

 

At the end of the week, Stiles walked into the loft and collapsed on top of Derek. After 20 mins of Derek running calming fingers through his hair, he said, “Boys are stupid.”

Apparently, Greg had broken up with him because he was unavailable. Isaac tried to get the whole story, but Stiles sucked him into a conversation about deer migration so he clearly didn’t want to talk about it. 

 

(Greg sighed heavily and set his drink down. 

“Alright, I thought I could handle it, but I really can’t.”

"What?” Stiles asked blankly.

“You’re talking about Derek,” Greg said. “Again.”

Stiles stared at him, trying not to actually express how defensive he suddenly felt. “Um. I’m pretty sure I usually talk about Derek a lot,” he said, careful to keep his tone neutral.

“You do,” Greg agreed. “And I didn’t mind because I thought Derek was like Scott.”

Now Stiles was confused. “Derek is like Scott.”

“You’re in love with Scott too?” Greg asked with raised eyebrows.

“What? No! Scott is basically my brother!” It took a moment for the underlying accusation to register. “And I’m not in love with Derek either.”

“Look, Stiles, I’m not going to argue with you about this. You’re unavailable. I get it. Though, I wish I’d known that before we were together for almost two months.” He paused, and it was then that Stiles realized the casual tone he was using was fake as hell. Greg was really upset. He shook most of it off and continued. “I’m assuming Charlie already broke up with Derek?” he asked. Stiles looked down. “Thought so. That girl was sending me meaningful looks the whole time trying to get me to see the writing on the wall. So here’s what we’re going to do. This is an amicable breakup. When you and Derek get your shit together, you can hit me up with an apology for dating me while you were in love with someone else. And you owe me a double date with my next boyfriend.” He stood and leaned over the table for one last lingering kiss.

Stiles gaped after Greg as he walked out of the shop, only closing his mouth as the door shut behind him.)

 

So Lydia’s plan worked. As if there was any risk of a plan she came up with failing. Derek and Stiles started spending even more time together “commiserating” over the breakups that neither of them seemed that torn up about. 

Isaac tried to subtly ask whether they were interested in anyone else, but they both took it the wrong way and said they were probably going to take a break from dating. Isaac contented himself with that. If they weren’t dating each other, at least they weren’t dating anyone else either. Isaac was fine with that. They had to realize their feelings for each other at some point. They had to. The Beta could wait patiently until that happened.

Except…

Except, one day, Stiles walked into the loft while the whole Pack was there. He dropped his bag on the floor and made a beeline for Derek. The human boy draped himself over the Alpha like a blanket, curling into him and nuzzling into his neck with a contented cooing sound. Derek dropped an arm around Stiles shoulders, pulling him closer. The Alpha exhaled pointedly over the human boy’s head before nuzzling him back with a soft rumble. Stiles hid his grin in Derek’s shoulder and the Alpha’s mouth quirked in the tiniest smile.

Isaac growled and threw his book across the room  


“God-fucking-dammit!”

Everyone in the loft turned to stare at him with surprised eyes.

“Isaac?” Stiles asked, sitting up, “What’s wrong?”

“You!” Stiles jerked back, hurt filling his features. Derek gave Isaac a furious look, opening his mouth to say something, but Isaac continued. “And you! The both of you!” he exclaimed, gesturing between them.

Confused now, Derek and Stiles looked at each other and initiated a silent conversation about the state of Isaac’s mental health.

“That!” Isaac yelled. “That right there! Fucking silent eyebrow conversations and cuddling on the couch and constantly texting when you’re apart and cooking together and buying gifts for each other that no one understands and the pining! Holy shit the pining for someone who is already head over heels, ass over teakettle, totally, completely, irrevocably in love with you! Everyone can see it, but you two! For fucks sake, you both got dumped after a double date because even your significant others could tell you were in love with each other! I’m so damn sick of watching the two of you dance around each other, forcing the rest of us to play this stupid will they or won’t they game. Just get together! Actually, fuck that, you’re already together. Just make it official. Fuck!”

He was breathing heavily by the end of his tirade, and he forced himself to calm down a little.

The silence was deafening, Stiles and Derek staring at him open-mouthed.

“Isaac’s right,” Lydia said sternly, “This is getting ridiculous. I know a lot of people that would breathe a sigh of relief if you two just made it official.”

“The UST was funny at first, but now it’s kind of annoying. And that’s coming from me,” Erica said. 

“Are we all telling Stiles and Derek that they should have sex? Because yes. I agree with that,” Malia said.

“I’m sick of the puppy eyes. I don’t know how your boyfriend and girlfriend could tell what’s up, but you two can’t get your heads out of your asses,” Jackson said.

“You guys would make a great couple,” Allison said kindly. Kira nodded emphatically.

“You’re basically made for each other,” she said.

“Seriously, guys,” Scott and Boyd said.

Scott and Boyd were agreeing on something. Scott and Boyd were agreeing on something in unison. Clearly, they had reached the point of no return.

“Now, we’re going to leave you two alone so you can make it official. And if you don’t, so help me God, I’ll make you regret it,” Lydia said.

They all got up and shuffled out, leaving Derek and Stiles to their own devices.

 

(“So are they right?” Stiles asked, eyes on Derek.

The wolf’s gaze was fixed on the wall of windows, staring outside rather than looking at Stiles.

“About?” Derek asked.

“Us,” Stiles replied, not minding the deflection. He was nervous about this conversation too. He was unsure about where this could go too. But apparently he hadn’t been hiding his feelings as well as he’d thought and the others had noticed. Everyone had noticed. And they’d noticed something about Derek too.

Stiles had thought he was imagining it. The tension between them. How easily they fit together. How Derek made him feel safe. How he made Derek laugh. But he wasn't imagining it. They were good together. They would be good together.

“Do you want them to be?” Derek asked. He still couldn’t look at Stiles. He couldn’t face this with his eyes wide open. He couldn’t face this head on. This wasn’t an enemy. This was potential heartbreak.

Stiles realized that one of them would have to be brave. This was his chance. This was his chance to be with the man he’d been in love with for years.  


“Yes,” Stiles said. Derek’s gaze snapped to his. “I want them to be right. I want them to be right about you being as hopelessly in love with me as I am with you.”

“Stiles,” Derek said, standing.

“I never said anything before because I was too young and I knew you would have a problem with that.” Derek walked towards him. Stiles kept talking. “And then all of a sudden we were friends. I got to talk to you and see you all the time and I couldn’t bring it up then. What if I told you and it ruined everything?” Derek stood in front of Stiles. He cupped the younger man’s face in his hands and tilted it upwards. “I love you,” Stiles said. “I love you so much and if that’s not how you feel, if they’ve got it wrong, it’s okay. We can go back to how things were. I won’t let my feelings get all over the place.”

“Stiles,” Derek said softly. He looked up with honey eyes and spiky, wet lashes. “I am so in love with you.”

Derek leaned down and captured Stiles’ mouth. It was hardly a second before Stiles pressed back, a small whimper escaping him.

“Of course he tastes impossible,’ Derek thought before all thought was lost. Who else but Stiles would taste like warm starlight? Who else but Stiles would explore Derek’s mouth with such enthusiastic curiosity?

Stiles wrapped an arm around Derek’s shoulders, pulling him closer until not even a shadow could slip between them. He pushed his other hand into Derek’s hair and tugged a little. The wolf growled. He wrapped an arm around Stiles’ waist and lifted. Stiles wrapped his legs around Derek’s hips. The Alpha moved them over to the couch and they were making out, hands roaming as they eagerly explored what they had been denying themselves for far too long. It was Derek who calmed their frantic pace. He gentled the kiss and finally pulled away. He couldn’t help placing a few more chaste kisses on Stiles’ reddened mouth when he made a sad sound at their parting.

“The Pack is out of earshot, but they’re still pretty close, and they’ll probably be back soon,” Derek said. “As much as I’d love to continue. I don’t want us getting interrupted.” Stiles sighed, but seemed content to curl up in his lap until the others returned.)

 

When the Pack got back, it was official. Good for them, because otherwise Lydia would have murdered them and Isaac would have helped. The UST didn’t dissolve until two days later, but Isaac was satisfied even before then.

Sterek existed. It was real. They’d finally got their shit together and admitted how they felt. And Isaac had even helped! He might be a better matchmaker than he’d given himself credit for.

Now if he could just make Malira happen...

**Author's Note:**

> This is the longest story I've ever published so let me know what you think! And feel free to ask questions about my headcanon for this 'verse.


End file.
